Yeah I did, cause I could pick it up with one hand empty, and was easy to modify for filters and etc. My 80t has to weigh close to 130lbs+ and was very ackward carrying that thing into the house and setting it up, but I dont have to baby it to avoid scratches either.
Glass vs. Acrylic
- Thread starter Hollygirl
- Start date
Yeah I did, cause I could pick it up with one hand empty, and was easy to modify for filters and etc. My 80t has to weigh close to 130lbs+ and was very ackward carrying that thing into the house and setting it up, but I dont have to baby it to avoid scratches either.
You could modify the stand to handle the acrylic tank with a sheet of plywood. Though for years I had 55 gal acrylic tanks on comventional open center wooden stands, with no issues. I probably wouldn't try it with larger acrylic tanks though.
The weight of a glass tank vs acrylic (in the size range we're talking here) would be negligible once its filled... it will have its biggest impact upon moving the tank around pre-setup. Once its filled... they'll be within 50ish lbs of each other (assuming 55g size) and that isn't all that much, compared to the roughly 700 or so lbs the tank will weigh full. You'll want to be sure to have a very sturdy stand for your tank. (and not only something that takes a load well, but doesn't sway if bumped... or if you live in cali, that won't snap if you have a minor earthquake)
I don't have acrylic, but it often looks like the top rim is so wide it'd be hard or at least a PITA to fit filters etc. I'd go glass for the size you'll have.
Besides the ease with which acrylic may be scratched, the other issue I've had is that it is much more difficult to remove algae from it. The same plastic scraper is maybe 10X more effective on glass than on acrylic.
On a related note, be aware that some plecos can damage acrylic when the try to scrape algae from it.
On a related note, be aware that some plecos can damage acrylic when the try to scrape algae from it.
